You may have noticed that beards are a big thing these days. There are tons of companies sprouting up that are focused on getting people to buy their beard vitamins, oils and balms to help them grow an epic beard.
But, what if you want to grow an epic goatee instead?
Most people might not realize it, but growing and maintaining a goatee is almost exactly like growing and maintaining a beard.
In fact, you can use the same steps to take care of just about any type of facial hair.
Those big companies tend to revolve around the subject of beards because they are in popular demand.
In reality, “beard products” should be called “facial hair products” because they are necessary for the healthy growth and maintenance of all types of styles be it goatee’s, beards and everything else.
This guide will show you how to maintain a goatee and give you tips that you can use for any other style you want to go for in the future.
We will cover:
- Trimming your goatee
- Using a facial hair wash over shampoo
- Using beard oils and balms
- Combing your goatee
Trimming Your Goatee
Since we’re talking about maintaining a goatee, I’m going to assume you already have one and are just looking for ways to keep it looking it’s best.
For that reason, I’m not going to talk about shaping it because there are many different styles and shapes that a goatee can be.
I may add to this post in the future, so feel free to let me know in the comments if you’d like to know more about properly shaping a goatee.
There are 2 preferred ways to trim a goatee (or any facial hair for that matter) and each one depends on its length which we will talk about below.
Short Goatee
The short goatee is the classic style that we see most often. It usually starts at the mustache and runs straight down, covering the entire chin.
Some people prefer to cover a wider area of the chin, extending just out to the jawline. Hence why it’s called an extended goatee.
The best way to trim and maintain the short length of this style is to use a trimmer with a guard. It’s important to invest in a good hair trimmer from the get-go, otherwise you’ll be disappointed with some of the cheaper options out there.
Try to find one that comes with multiple guard lengths to experiment with.
Using a trimmer with the appropriate guard will take virtually no time at all and will give you an even, clean cut goatee every single time.
Here are a couple of easy steps to follow:
- Attach your desired guard length to the trimmer. Try starting with a longer guard and work your way down until you find the length you want.
- Turn on the trimmer and glide the guard around all areas of your goatee and mustache until evenly trimmed. Make sure to go against the grain when cutting to avoid missing any hairs.
It’s really that easy.
In addition, you can remove the guard and use the trimmer to clean up the outline of your goatee to maintain its shape.
Long Goatee
The long goatee is similar in shape to the short goatee but instead grown out at the chin.
There are many different styles of it, but you’ll mostly see people with a medium length mustache leading to a longer, scruffier chin like in this picture of Brad Pitt.
The best way to trim a long goatee requires a trimmer, a pair of hair cutting shears and a comb.
You’ll be free-handing any cutting with this style more than you would with a short goatee, so you’ll want to be a little more careful not to over-cut.
Keep in mind this can be done with just a trimmer if you’d like, but I feel that using scissors helps get the areas that really need trimming and will give your goatee a more natural look.
Here are a few steps:
- Use the trimmer with no guard along the top of your lip line to trim any overgrowing mustache hair. If you’d like, you can add a guard and go over your entire mustache to give it an even cut.
- Comb out your goatee to help expose overgrowing hairs that need trimming. You can continue to do this as you trim.
- Use your hair cutting shears to trim excess hair by carefully snipping away at uneven hairs until you’ve reached the look you’re going for.
I think the best thing to note here based on my experience is to try not to overdo it.
It can seem like you could trim forever because there are always hairs sticking out here and there, but a little goes a long way when you’re going for a clean, natural look.
Use a Facial Hair Wash
What you use to wash your facial hair can have a profound effect on its health and overall look.
If you’ve been using your everyday shampoo on your beard, stop now.
The shampoo you use on your head strips sebum oil from your skin. That’s helpful for preventing your hair from looking greasy, but those oils are essential for healthy facial hair.
Instead, you’ll want to find a good beard wash that doesn’t contain the oil stripping chemicals found in your average shampoo.
A good facial hair wash will contain natural ingredients and oils like these:
- Castor oil
- Sweet almond oil
- Potassium Oleate and Cocoate deriving from sunflower and coconut oil
- Argan oil
- Avocado oil
That’s just to name a few. All of those are great ingredients for keeping your facial hair thick and strong.
As far as how often to wash your hair goes, most people say twice a week will suffice. Personally, I wash mine about every other day and make sure to give it a good rinse when I don’t.
Use Beard Oils and Balms
Beard oil and beard balm are also essential for healthy facial hair growth and keeping it looking it’s best.
Beard oil is good for your facial hair because it keeps it soft and moisturizes your skin. Soft facial hair will be easier to maintain and will result in a clean, well-groomed look.
The other upside is the smell and the shine. Beard oils come in a ton of different scents that will make your goatee smell fantastic and give it hydrating shine.
Trust me, once you try it you won’t go a day without it ever again. Don’t be surprised if you get a few comments as well!
Beard balm is like oil in that it contains beneficial ingredients that will help keep your hair and your skin moisturized.
The difference between beard oil and beard balm is that balm has a thickness like a wax which is great for giving your facial hair some hold.
Do you use Beard oil and Beard Balm Together?
Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with that and I often use them together myself on my beard.
For a goatee, you may not need both since you have less facial hair to groom but don’t be afraid to play around and find what you like.
Just using oil will give you a nice shine and just using balm will give you more of a matte look. If you like the shine but want a bit more hold, use some of both.
When Should you use Beard oil and Balm?
The best time to apply these is after you’ve showered and washed or rinsed your goatee. This is when the hairs are softest.
Be sure to dry it as much as possible by dabbing it with a towel.
To apply, simply put a few drops of oil in your palm, rub your hands together and run your hands up and down through the hair. Feel free to apply more if needed.
For balm, use your thumb nail and scrape a small chunk from the container. Rub the balm together at the tips of your fingers and apply it throughout your goatee or beard.
Below is a video that talks about using both in detail.
Ingredients in Beard oils and Balms
A great oil or balm will contain mostly if not completely natural ingredients that are meant for keeping your facial hair healthy and moisturized throughout the day.
With whatever you’re buying, make sure it has a few of or all these ingredients:
- Jojoba oil
- Argan oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Sweet almond oil
- Castor oil
- Beeswax (balm)
- Shea butter (balm)
- Mango seed butter (balm)
- Apricot kernel oil
- Cocoa seed butter (balm)
That’s pretty much all you will find in a good oil or balm. If you find ingredients that you’re not sure of or sound weird, I’d suggest doing a bit of research on them or going with a different product.
You don’t want to use anything that will dry out your hair or skin and counteract the effects of the good ingredients above.
Combing
Combing is the last step to maintaining your goatee. Sometimes I will comb my beard out before applying oil and then again afterwards, but just doing it after is fine too.
The reason this is important is because it will keep your facial hair looking neat and it’s great for getting the oil evenly spread throughout the hairs.
Here’s what to do after applying your oil:
- Comb the hair downward to loosen it up
- Then comb upward starting from the neck/chin to evenly spread the oil
- Comb downwards once more to neaten it up
You can do this for beards as well and it works well if your facial hair is on the longer side.
I’d recommend finding a comb meant for beards and goatees. Don’t use those plastic combs that come in a hair clipper kit or something like that. They are flimsy, and the teeth are usually too thin for coarse facial hair.
I personally use a comb made from sandalwood. The wood smells amazing and they tend to hold oil as you use them. This will help moisturize the hairs when you use it throughout the day without having to apply more oil.
Conclusion
Let’s recap on all the steps we covered:
- Use a trimmer or scissors to trim your short or long goatee to your desired length
- Use a facial hair wash in the shower to clean and soften the hairs
- Pat your goatee dry and apply oil and/or balm while the hairs are still soft
- Comb the hair to evenly distribute the oil and neaten it up
Hopefully this has given you a better idea of how to keep your goatee looking it’s best.
I’ve been using these simple methods for years and there’s no doubt that they have helped me in keeping my beard healthy and well groomed.
Adding them to your routine will help you do the same, and give you an epic goatee or beard for life!
